Getting a Girl
by flowerchild33
Summary: Molly Weasley has six sons and desperately wants a daughter. She thinks she will do anything to get a girl, but when she finally finds a way, will she be willing to do what must be done?
1. Six Little Boys

Chapter 1 – Six little boys

Molly Weasley lay in her hospital bed looking down at her latest bundle sleeping peacefully in her arms. Ronald Bilius Weasley was as adorable as his brothers, with pale skin that already showed a hint of freckles, long fingers, and the trademark Weasley red hair. He was Molly's sixth child and sixth son. Molly had desperately hoped for a daughter, but knew that with the Weasley family history, her chances of having her own little girl were not likely. 'But he is perfect and a welcome bit of happiness' Molly thought to herself.

While Molly enjoyed her small bundle of joy, the rest of the wizarding world was in upheaval. Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters' reign of terror caused continual strife and very few were safe. Molly and her husband Arthur were pure-bloods and had less to worry about than some, but the Weasleys were also notorious blood traitors, so their young family was under constant protection. Just the previous year, Molly had lost her twin brothers Fabian and Gideon in a battle with a group of Death Eaters. Many thought Molly was wrong to bring new life into a world at war, but she cherished each of her sons. Despite her joy with the new addition, Molly still ached for a daughter.

Two days later Molly and baby Ron returned home to the Burrow and were greeted enthusiastically by Ron's older brothers. Bill was eight and quite experienced with babies, so he was the first to take his brother from Molly. He took the baby and settled on the couch while brothers Charlie, age six and Percy, age four settled on either side of their big brother and admired the new addition.

A few minutes later, Molly's husband Arthur came downstairs carrying the sleepy two year old twins, Fred and George. Arthur set the youngest two Weasleys down next to the couch and they toddled over to look at Ron. Fred took one look, wrinkled his nose and turned to his mother as he said "NO!". George followed his twin's lead and stuck his tongue out at the baby. Then the twins looked at each other in the manner that their family knew was a silent communication between them, then they turned and toddled over to their toy chest. Soon the twins were engrossed in their own play and had no interest in any unwanted new brother. Molly sighed, the twins were a constant worry for her. They had few words that anyone else but themselves understood and they were quite content to ignore the entire family except each other. They had just turned two and were already into more mischief than any of her others had been at their age. Just before she went to the hospital, Molly had found Percy wailing after he went to put on his shoes and squished a slug that had been put in one. The twins stood in a corner smiling as their brother screamed and Molly had had to reprimand them both, as she could never tell who was responsible.

Over the next week, life settled down in the Weasley household and Molly recovered her strength after her delivery. She was a resilient woman, which was a benefit given the busy household she had to manage. Her days were hectic from sunrise to well past sunset, but Molly was mostly happy, still she longed for a daughter. She loved each of her boys and would die for any one of them, but she craved a daughter who would help bring some balance to a house full of screaming, dirty, broom-crashing, booger-eating, gnome-teasing little boys.

As Ron approached his three month birthday, Molly began to research how she might conquer fate and get herself a little girl. Although Molly was busy at home during the week and Arthur worked long hours at the Ministry, Sundays were her day. Arthur was a good husband and knew that Molly's sanity needed a break from the house at least once a week, so on Sundays he sent her off to run errands, visit friends or do whatever she alone wanted to do. Arthur stayed home with the boys and did his best to keep the house intact for the few hours his wife was gone. By the time Molly returned each Sunday, Arthur greeted her with an enthusiastic kiss and made sure that Molly knew how much he appreciated her. Just four or five hours on a Sunday was enough to make Arthur ready to go back to the relative peace of his office.


	2. Research

_Reposting this due to some kind of corruption. Also had to repost the chapters after due to weirdness with FF. Thanks to Michael Anonymous for letting me know._

Chapter 2 - Research

Molly decided to start her research at the Wizard's Central Library. Her first focus was on a potion that would influence gender, but after two Sundays worth of searching, Molly came to the conclusion that potions were a dead end. Plenty of wizards and witches had tried to create a gender influencing potion, but the results were so random that it almost seemed that the odds were basically the same with or without the potion. In addition, all the potential potions were designed with the goal of producing a male heir for a family. Molly had already given Arthur six heirs, now it was her turn. As she finished up her second Sunday of research, Molly was flipping the last couple of pages in the last book she had open. Her plan was to finish the book, return everything she had checked out and then pursue a different course the following week. Then she noticed a small quotation on one page that caught her eye. It read 'in addition, refer tome 16 for moste potente potion for carnal harmony with occultic alliance'. That notation caught Molly's eye. Although a bit vague, the reference to the carnal could indicate a potion with sexual influences. Molly made a note to check Lewin's Catalogue for Draughts and Potions, volume 16. Closing the book, she noted that the volume she currently held was number 3. Even though time was running late, Molly made a quick check of the card files for additional volumes. The files indicated volumes 1-6, 9-14 and 20-22 were all in the library. The interceding numbered volumes were listed as either unknown or missing. Volume 16 was on the unknown list. Sighing, Molly checked all her books back in and returned home.

Throughout the next week, Molly remained busy with her brood and her home, but her mind continually wandered. The next Sunday found her back at the library. This time she switched from potions to astronomical research, as she had read that certain celestial navigations could affect a woman's cycle and she wondered if there was a possibility that those same navigations might affect the gender of a child. By the end of her time, she was back at another dead end. Celestial navigations may affect women, but they had little impact on men and it was the man who ultimately determined gender. Frustrated, Molly left the library empty-handed again.

When Molly returned home, she found the place in chaos. Bill and Charlie had snuck into the broom shed and gone for a forbidden ride that had ended when they crashed into a large mud puddle. Unfortunately, the puddle also contained their twin brothers. Fred and George were bruised but mostly fine. They were mainly angry and unknowingly had flung Bill and Charlie out of the mud and halfway across the garden after the crash. Bill had a fine lump on his head and Charlie twisted his ankle. Although the four boys were a right mess, Arthur was grinning at the first evidence that the twins were definitely not squibs. A two year old squib would never have been able to sling a six or eight year old across the garden with nothing but an angry glare. Molly was happy, but she had had no doubts on the twins inherent magic and soon busied herself with early baths for her muddy lot of boys.

Over the first few days of the following week, Molly continued to ponder her research and how to pursue it further. One evening after the boys were finally tucked in and quiet, Arthur was feeling randy and began to caress and nibble on her neck in a way that usually always got her going, but Molly was still too deep in thought to respond as he wished. Arthur realized something was wrong and desisted as he asked "Ok Molly, what are you brooding about?"

Molly turned to her husband and the look of concern in his eyes was all she needed to see. She immediately began explaining to Arthur about her desire for a daughter and the research that had so far come to naught.

Arthur listened and waited for Molly to finish. He was a bit stunned. He knew of course how much she desired a daughter, but he hadn't realized just how badly. In truth, he also had wished with each pregnancy that he would get a 'daddy's little witch' of his own, but his family history made it unlikely. As Molly wound down, he pulled her into his arms and proposed an idea. "Molly my love, I had no idea just how much this means to you. I know you've been all through the Central Library, but there may be one other option. As a Ministry employee, I can search the Ministry archives and see what I can dig up. A large portion is restricted, but I can give it a try. I'll start with that volume 16 book you mentioned. What do you think?"

Molly turned her face up to her husband and her smile was light again as a glimmer of hope reignited. She began kissing Arthur quite ardently and soon made it very clear what she thought of his idea and what it meant to her.

The next day Arthur used his lunch hour to visit the Ministry archives. Checking the card file he was pleasantly surprised to find a complete set of Lewin's Catalogue. Unpleasantly, five of the volumes were listed as restricted, including number 16. 'Must be some nasty stuff in those' Arthur thought to himself. As Arthur pondered how he could go about securing a pass for restricted materials, he noticed a familiar face. Flynn McDuff was in the back corner of the library and nearly invisible behind a stack of books. If it hadn't been for Flynn's crazy mass of white hair, Arthur might not have seen him at all. Curious as to what had buried Flynn so deep in the archives, Arthur went over for a chat.

"Flynn! Hello there. It's been ages. How are you? How's Kevin?"

"Oh, hi Arthur. I'm well and so is Kevin. I think that spot of trouble might have finally sorted him out."

Arthur smiled as he thought back on an incident that occurred nearly a year ago. Flynn's youngest and favorite nephew Kevin had decided to celebrate his coming of age by drinking most of a bottle of fire whisky and then going out to party with friends. The group of young wizards had started in a wizard club, but had soon moved to a hot Muggle night spot instead. While there, Kevin had lost an impromptu dance contest to a young Muggle and had retaliated by enchanting the Muggle boy's shoes. The effect was that the Muggle had been unable to stop dancing. Kevin and his friends disappeared right after and it was a thankful thing that the Ministry monitored Muggle police frequencies. The Magic Reversal Squad was notified quickly that a boy had been sent to a local hospital for exhaustion and that his shoes were still trying to dance as the hospital tried to treat him. The simple prank had turned into a full night of work for the Magic Reversal Squad and several Obliviators, who had to banish memories from club attendees, first responders and hospital staff. Arthur was the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office and was called in to track down the perpetrator. Using memory probes, it hadn't taken long for Arthur to have a clear sketch of the suspect, as well as his first name and the names of some of his friends. When Arthur had paid a visit to the family, he found that the young man was sincerely remorseful and his uncle Flynn had convinced Arthur to overlook the boy's first infraction. Flynn paid a hefty fine to St. Mungo's Charitable Fund and Kevin promised to keep his nose clean or Arthur would reconsider reporting him. Now it had been nearly a year and Arthur had heard nothing as Kevin had indeed kept his promise.

As Arthur remembered back on the incidents of the year previous, he still wondered what Flynn was doing in the archives. "Glad to hear Kevin has learned his lesson Flynn. May I ask what brings you to the archives? Looks like a hefty amount of reading you've got there."

Flynn looked up and sighed, running his fingers through his hair and making it stand up even more. "Oy! Arthur, I've got a piece of property I recently invested in and it came with unadvertised poltergeist activity. I've lost several tenants already and haven't been able to banish the spirits, so I'm researching the history of the area. Had to call in some favors, but I managed to get a pass to the restricted section and I think I am getting close to an answer."

At the mention of a restricted pass, Arthur's spirit soared. Flynn still owed him for keeping Kevin clear and now maybe would be a good time to call in the favor. "Restricted section huh? I actually was doing some research and just found out the one book I am the most interested in is also restricted."

Flynn looked at Arthur and a slow smile crept across his face. "Well I certainly owe you Arthur, what's the book? I have a couple here I'm done with and I can check yours out when I return these."

Arthur wrote down the book title for Flynn and his eyebrows raised a bit, but Flynn said nothing as he stood up and headed for the central information desk. Arthur moved a couple of books aside and sat down to wait.

Twenty minutes later, Flynn returned with Arthur's book. "Got your book Arthur. Took them a while to find it, and from the look of it, this one hasn't been opened since the last goblin war. A bit of an odd selection, but I am sure you have your reasons."

"Yes indeed Flynn. The book is for a bit of personal research. It's probably only in the restricted section because of one or two nasties in it, whereas I just need some older more mundane recipes. I do appreciate your help. I'll turn the book in when I'm done and just tell the archivist that I'm doing you a favor." With that, Arthur shook Flynn's hand and went to find a quiet table where he could delve into volume 16 of Lewin's Catalogue.

Two hours later Arthur thought he had found what Molly might be looking for. He was well past his lunch, but his job allowed flexibility and he could always fib and say the research was work related. The entry he found gave the details on 'ensuring the sire of a male heir for the propagation of familial lineage'. The text was a quite outdated, but basically described a very old rite by which a witch could mate with a merman in the mer's own environment with the aid of a water potion. After the mating, if the witch's betrothed immediately took her to himself then the ensuing conception would result in a son. Arthur shivered a bit at the thought of any witch wanting to be near a merman, as they were notoriously temperamental and occasionally violent. 'Anyway, siring a male heir is not our problem' Arthur thought. Then he continued on down the page and at the very bottom found one additional quotation: 'if a witch is desired, her propagation may be ensured by the aid of a veela'. That seemed peculiar to Arthur and he wished that more details had been given, but it seemed obvious that Lewin was much more interested in the need for a male heir than the unlikely desire for a family to sire a witch.

Arthur looked through the book a bit more, but found nothing additional that would assist in Molly's quest. He did notice several potions in the book that were quite vile and it was obvious why volume 16 was under restriction. With nothing else to be done, Arthur returned the book and went back to his office.

That evening when the boys were settled and Arthur and Molly had a few quiet minutes, Arthur delivered the news that he had located volume 16 and what the singular notation had indicated. Molly frowned as she replied to the news from Arthur's research. "A veela? How can a veela help?"

"Not sure Molly. The text didn't give many details on siring a girl. You know how the old pure-bloods focus mainly on producing male heirs. Perhaps we could find out if we asked a veela?"

Molly regarded her husband with a smirk. "And do you happen to know any veela Arthur? Maybe one we can make a floo call to? Or maybe send an owl?"

Arthur laughed. "Well yes, that is an issue. I guess we would first need to locate veela. I know I've heard of some in Bulgaria and the surrounding mountains. Hmm, I wonder…"

Molly waited for Arthur to finish his thought, but grew impatient as he continued to ponder. "What Arthur?"

"Hmm, yes, just an idea I had Molly. Maybe the Ministry has a contact in the area. I could try talking to Euan Peakes in the Department for International Magical Cooperation. We've worked together on a couple of issues with Muggle artifacts outside Britain. "

Molly's eyes began to light up and Arthur was quick to caution her. "Now Molly, this is just a first step in investigating this. It may come to nothing, so don't get too hopeful."

Molly sighed, shook her head and yawned. "Well, I know you'll do what you can Arthur. Now I think we should get some sleep."


	3. In Search of Veela

Chapter 3 – In Search of Veela

The next morning was quite busy as Arthur was called out on a Muggle baiting issue where the ticket machines at an Underground station had been enchanted to bite fingers as they were used. He finally returned to the Ministry in the late afternoon and was on his way to his office when he remembered his promise to Molly. Instead of riding the lift all the way down to his floor, Arthur exited several floors before and headed to the Department for International Magical Cooperation. Entering the office, he immediately saw Euan Peakes and waved. Euan smiled and made his way over to greet Arthur.

"Arthur old boy! It's been a while. How are you? How's the family?"

"Hi Euan, I'm doing well and so are Molly and the boys. We have a sixth now, almost six months old."

"Six! Wow! I don't know how you do it Arthur. Rosemary is pressuring me for a third, but I'm happy with our one boy and one girl. So what brings you to my neighborhood?"

"Well Euan, I have a bit of a favor to ask. Is there any place where we can talk privately?"

"Sure thing Arthur. The conference room's not in use, let's head in there."

The two wizards wound their way through the maze of desks and cubicles to a small conference room in a corner of the department. As the door closed, Euan turned to look at Arthur. "Okay, all quiet now. What's up Arthur?"

Arthur chewed his lip and tried to figure out how to begin. Finally he just decided to dive in. "Euan I need a favor. I need to know if you have a contact in Bulgaria or nearby who can give me information on veela."

Euan let out a low whistle. "Veela? Really? Now that makes me curious. I may know someone, but I have to ask what this is about?"

"I'll tell you, but I have to ask that this go no further than this room." Arthur replied.

In response, Euan turned and began casting wards around the room. Then he turned and raised a questioning eyebrow and waited for Arthur to continue.

"As I told you Euan, Molly and I just welcomed our sixth boy. He's wonderful and Molly wouldn't give up any of the boys for anything, but she desperately wants a girl. Unfortunately for her, the Weasley men haven't produced any witches in several hundred years. We've been doing a bit of research and found a vague reference about veela being able to assist in ensuring we get a girl. The references mainly focus on producing male heirs, so we have very little information and would like to find a veela who would be willing to talk to us about the possibilities."

Euan let out a low sigh and sunk into a chair. "Wow Arthur. Really? You want a girl that bad? Veela are dangerous creatures. We actually know very little about them, but I guess that is part of your problem."

"So do you have a contact that can help us Euan?"

Euan looked up and saw the hope in his friend's eyes and decided to do what he could. "Yes Arthur, I'll help, although it probably won't be much. Give me a few days to inquire with some contacts we have in the area. I'll send you a memo when I have something."

Arthur grinned and shook his friend's hand. "Thanks so much Euan. This means a lot." Then the two wizards dissolved the wards on the room and exited to their separate offices.

Arthur told Molly that night about his meeting, but again admonished that it still may come to nothing. The next two days brought no word from Euan and Arthur hoped that he would be in contact the following week.

Sunday arrived and Molly was preparing for her break. As she stood in her bedroom brushing her hair, Arthur came in. "So Molly my love, where are you off to?"

"No place special Arthur, just the library. I figure that we are a bit stalled right now, but I might as well research and see what I can learn about veela."

Arthur smiled and kissed his wife. "Well, have a good day." In his mind though, Arthur was sincerely hoping that Molly's hopes wouldn't be dashed.

Molly arrived home a few hours later and a grateful Arthur welcomed her back as she took the boys in hand and began cooking dinner. He was curious if she had found anything on veela, but the house was too frantic to allow any time to talk. Later that evening, Molly curled up against Arthur and delivered what little news she had.

"I found a few books with general references on veela. Basically everything that any schoolchild learns. I was getting quite frustrated when I came across a book that was bit more helpful. It didn't offer much, but I did find out that veela only ever give birth to girls. Which means that veela must mate with humans or occasionally other creatures in order to procreate. The strange thing is that the book did mention that only pure veela retain all the magical properties of a pure blood veela. Any children that are half veela or less will retain some properties, but not all and none will be able to transform. Which brings up a question. If all pure blooded veela are female then how are additional pure veela conceived? Unfortunately, the book did not have an answer to that."

Arthur pondered before responding. "Wow, very interesting. Of course, veela have no problem seducing men. But I would hate to get one angry. Still, too many questions unanswered. Hopefully Euan will get us a lead in the next week."

The next day Arthur had a typically busy Monday filled with meetings. He received a flock of interoffice memos, but none from Euan. That evening Molly was disappointed that there was no news, but Arthur did his best to reassure her. The following morning Arthur was in his office sorting through stacks of paperwork when a single memo flew in. Arthur snatched it and was thrilled when he saw it was from Euan. The note read simply 'lunch 12:30 meet me'. Sighing, Arthur went back to his paperwork and had it mostly complete by the time he left for the cafeteria.

As Arthur entered, he saw Euan waiting for him. The two wizards exchanged greetings and then joined the queue. They both selected the chicken curry and Arthur stepped forward to pay as Euan tried to object. "Stop arguing Euan, it's the least I can do since you're helping me out" Arthur insisted and Euan deferred.

After collecting their drinks, Arthur made his way to a small alcove that had a single table and would afford them a bit of privacy. They began eating and then after a few bites, Euan delivered his news. "Well, I think I found a contact for you Arthur. He's in Romania, not Bulgaria, although he's close to the border. He claims to be personally acquainted with a couple of veela and is willing to introduce you, but there is a catch. This individual is not a diplomatic agent, he is actually a businessman. I use that term loosely, as some of his business dealings are more than a bit shady. Nonetheless, he has never officially run afoul of the law. His name is Bogdan Dugheru. While he has agreed to help, I need to warn you that he has also put a price on his assistance. Bogdan never does anything for free and the fee he is requesting is fifty galleons."

Arthur let out a low whistle. 'Fifty galleons!' he thought to himself. That would wipe out the small savings he and Molly had, but if this businessman could help with their quest, it would be worth it.

"Wow Euan, that's a lot. I mean, we can probably manage just barely, but it will mean Molly has to wait for her new stove. I'll have to confirm with her, but if we want to go forward with this, what's the next step?"

"Well Arthur, once you and Molly decide, I'll arrange for Bogdan to call you on the floo. Then you can work out the details with him. He most likely will want to meet with you in person in country."

Arthur nodded and the two friends finished the rest of their lunch as they discussed more mundane Ministry news.

Later that evening, Arthur sat down with Molly and gave her the news. She was quiet for a few minutes before finally replying. "Arthur, I want to do it. I know it's a risk with this Bogdan character, but we don't have any other options. At least he's in the right part of the world for contacting veela. I know it will pinch us and I guess I'll just have to keep banging on the old stove, but I want a daughter more."

"Okay Molly, I'll tell Euan to arrange a floo call and stop by Gringotts after work tomorrow."

The next day Arthur wasted no time and stopped by Euan's office first thing in the morning. Euan seemed a bit surprised that Arthur was willing to agree to the price, but he agreed to arrange a meeting. At lunch, Arthur took a trip to Gringotts and withdrew the fifty galleons. The withdrawal left the Weasley vault pitifully empty, but it would be worth it to fulfill Molly's dream. Shortly after lunch, a memo from Euan arrived at Arthur's desk. The memo contained a time later that evening and a floo address. Given the distance between the two ends of the floo connection, a special link would need to be arranged, so Arthur left his office and made his way to Floo Regulation Control. An hour later Arthur had filed the paperwork and paid the thirty sickle fee for a thirty minute connection between Romania and Britain.

Arthur left the office promptly at five and floo'd home. The house was in its usual state of controlled chaos, so Arthur pulled Molly into the pantry to talk briefly. Molly seemed a bit amused by their location and took the chance to begin kissing Arthur. Arthur responded immediately and was soon getting quite heated when he got control of himself and pulled back. "Molly my love, before I completely lose my head. I pulled you in here to talk." Molly sighed and looked a bit disappointed as she waited for her husband to continue.

"The meeting is set. Bogdan will call tonight at 7:15 our time. We have a thirty minute connection on the floo. I know the boys won't be asleep yet, but that was the only time he offered. I also did the withdrawal, so I have the galleons he requested."

Molly brightened and responded by starting to snog Arthur again. Soon all thoughts of anything but themselves left Arthur and Molly as they became quite involved. A few minutes later they were startled back to reality when Bill opened the door to find his mother propped up on a pantry shelf with her legs wrapped around his father and both of them moaning as they snogged.

"Really mum and dad? In the pantry? Anyway, I thought you should know that George caught a gnome and Fred looks like he's trying to pull its ears off. I was going to stop them, but they threw another gnome at me and it bit my arm. " As he said this, Bill held up his arm and displayed a nasty looking bite that was dripping blood down his arm.

Molly immediately pulled herself off the pantry shelf and began to attend to Bill's arm while Arthur went to find and discipline the twins. Later that evening, Arthur put Ron in his crib, locked the twins in their room upstairs, and left the other boys to play in the living room while he and Molly locked themselves in the kitchen to prepare for the call from Bogdan. As they sat down minutes before the call, Arthur was catching his breath and looked at Molly.

"Are you really sure about this Molly? You want another? The lot we have has about done us in already."

Molly gave him a stern look. "Of course Arthur. I want a girl. A girl won't be near the same kind of trouble."

Arthur quietly thought to himself that a girl could be a whole new kind of trouble, but didn't voice his thoughts as the fire began to whirl. The large, fleshy face of a swarthy man came into view in the fire and began to speak at once.

"Good evening. I am Bogdan and I assume you are Weasleys?"

Arthur took the lead. "Yes, I am Arthur and this is my wife Molly. Thank you for agreeing to try to help us."

"Of course. Now I theenk you need meet with veela. Am correct? Why?"

Arthur took a breath and decided that he would have to explain to Bogdan what their need was. "Yes Bogdan, we need to talk to a veela about a personal matter. You see, my wife and I have six sons, but we desire a daughter. We have found information that indicates a veela may be able to help us. We have no idea how, so we need to talk to a veela who might know."

The face in the fire furrowed his brows. "Hmm, yes indeed. I know one who help. Maybe. I talk to her, see if she agree. Veela are very how you say? Moody? But I try. For fee of course. You have galleons? I take half now and half once I arrange veela. You agree?"

Arthur nodded his head and took twenty five galleons out and handed them through the fire. Bogdan smiled and nodded.

"Thenk you. I will notify when I arrange. May take while. Good evening."

As Bogdan left the fire, the whirling stopped and Molly and Arthur sat in silence for a few minutes. Then the sound of Percy wailing from the living room brought them back to the present and they left the kitchen to attend to the nighttime routine of bathing and settling six boys.

Arthur and Molly did not hear anything from Bogdan for the rest of the week, or at all the following week. Arthur was beginning to think he had lost twenty five galleons. Then, late one evening twelve days after their meeting with him, an owl arrived from Bogdan. The message it contained was brief. Bogdan had arranged a meeting with a veela in three days' time. He would meet them at an inn in Romania that was connected to a pub near Sheffield. From there he would take them to the meeting. Arthur was thrilled at the news, but soon more practical matters needed to be considered.

"Well Molly, it seems that we may finally have found a veela. Now we need to consider how we are going to make a quick trip to Romania and what to do about the boys while we are gone."

"I guess we need to find a sitter Arthur. It should only be for a few hours. I can't imagine it will take longer. What about my friend Andromeda? We had lunch last Sunday and she was telling me how quiet the house is with Nymphadora away at Hogwarts. A few hours here will make her miss the quiet."

"An excellent idea Molly. If you think she'll be agreeable."

"I think so, but we might as well call and check." With that, Molly stepped over to the fire and threw floo powder into the flames as she said "home of Andromeda and Ted Tonks" before putting her head into the flames.

Andromeda answered immediately. "Hi Molly, this is a surprise. Everything okay?"

"Oh yes Andromeda, no worries here. Well noting beyond the usual scraped elbows and brotherly arguments. I just called to ask a favor of you. Arthur and I need to get out and he's offered to take me on a date Friday night. I know the timing is short, but I was wondering if you would mind sitting for us?"

"Ooh yes, I think I that will be fun!" Andromeda exclaimed. "It really has been a bit boring around here. I think I may bring Ted along if you don't mind. I think he'll enjoy playing with the boys."

"That's an excellent idea Andromeda. And we greatly appreciate it. Can you be here around 5:30?"

Andromeda agreed and Molly signed off and pulled herself out of the floo. "Well Arthur, looks like we are all set for Friday night."

Arthur chuckled. "We'll see what she thinks of the 'fun' by the time we get home." Then he took Molly's hand and led her to their bedroom.


	4. Romania

Chapter 4 - Romania

Three days later Arthur left work a bit early so that he could go home and help Molly. When he arrived, she was in a state as she tried to get the boys and the house ready and clean and keep them that way before the Tonkses arrived. He helped with some last cleanup and then went to put on his best robes and comb his hair.

At 5:20 Andromeda and Ted arrived and Ted immediately went out to the garden where Bill and Charlie were playing. Andi listened as Molly gave final instructions and then sent her and Arthur on their way.

The Weasleys trip to Romania began by apparating to a small wizard's pub outside Sheffield. The pub was owned by a Romanian wizard who had married a British witch. He kept one floo fire with an open connection to his homeland to allow for regular visits back home. For a small fee, he allowed others to use the connection as well. Arthur and Molly paid the ten sickles and began the long floo ride to Romania. They emerged a half hour later at an inn and found that Bogdan was waiting for them.

"Good evening Weasleys. Good promptness thank you. Come, lady does not wait for anyone." With that, Bogdan took them both by an arm and side-along-apparated them on the last leg of their journey. When they landed, Molly looked around in a bit of awe. They were standing on a plateau of a mountain and before them was a small castle that looked like something from a book. Bogdan immediately began pulling them up the path to the main entrance and, as they crossed the property line, a palpable field of warding assailed them. Molly paused at the feeling of powerful and strange magic, but Bogdan kept pulling them forward.

Bogdan reached the front door, but before he could knock the door was opened by a young woman. She was exquisitely beautiful and seemed to glow. Her hair appeared to be spun from white gold and an indefinable aura of comfort wafted from her. She stood back and gestured them in, but Arthur was unable to move. Finally Molly prodded him and he came to his senses as they entered the main hall of the castle.

Bogdan spoke up as they entered. "Here now, Miss Apolline will show way. My service complete so I leave. Floo at inn will be open when you need. Now, I need rest of fee."

Arthur nodded, handed Bogdan his additional twenty five galleons and then watched as he let himself out of the castle before turning back to the amazing young woman that stood before them.

Apolline smiled as she began to speak. "Welcome to my home. Mr. Dugheru has indicated that you need to meet with my mother. I don't know the details, but she has agreed to meet with you. I am a bit surprised, but my mother is often difficult to understand. Now, she is waiting in the sitting room, if you will please follow me."

Molly spoke up quickly. "Wait, um, Miss Apolline, you're not the veela?"

Apolline smiled, "Not exactly. I am half veela. My mother is the one who can tell you more." Then she turned and led them down a hall to the sitting room.

When Molly and Arthur entered, the creature who had arranged herself on a brocade settee seemed to suck the air out of their lungs. She must have been middle age if she was Apolline's mother, but she looked much the same age as her daughter. Her skin had the appearance of palest silk and her hair formed a halo of golden curls around her head. The entire room seemed to be lit by her presence, which seemed to fill every inch of the space. Before they could say hello, she smiled and welcomed them in.

"Good evening and welcome to my home. I am Demetra. Please take a seat. Would you like some wine?"

Molly and Arthur took the offered seats and both accepted a glass of wine. Molly took a sip and found her voice. "Good evening Demetra. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. Your home is quite spectacular. I have never had a chance to visit Romania before."

Demetra smiled and Molly was taken aback by the effect it had on her. She had never been attracted to a woman, but she was suddenly finding herself enthralled at the beauty before her.

"You have not seen Romania before? It is a shame. My country is truly beautiful. I know you are not here for pleasure travel, but you must come sometime and really see my country. Now, Bogdan told me a bit of why you wished to meet, but I'd like to hear what you have to say."

Molly waited for a minute and looked over at Arthur to see if he was going to speak, but he just sat sipping his wine and staring at their host, so she began. "Demetra, my husband and I have been married for nine years. In that time we have been blessed with six boys, but no daughter. My husband's family has had no daughters born in seven generations, so we do not have much chance to produce a daughter on our own. After much research, we found a few references that indicated that a veela might be able to assist us in conceiving a daughter, but no details on how that is possible. This is what brings us to your beautiful home."

Demetra looked at Molly closely and Molly felt that she had never before received such a thorough examination, then Demetra spoke. "I understand your need and I do believe I can assist you, but first I would like to explain a bit of my history. I must ask for your oaths that what I tell you never leave these walls."

Molly looked at Demetra and placed her wand on the palm of her hand. "I hereby foreswear to never reveal what is discussed within these walls."

Demetra smiled and looked to Arthur, who was still a bit dazed. Molly poked him and Arthur came to and also swore his oath of silence.

Demetra continued. "I am one of an ancient race that traces our lineage to the beginning of time. When common men were first formed from the mists in the first days of the world, a spirit of that mist descended on some of the first people and that spirit used the ancient magic to meld with some of the newly formed humans. From this magic the veela were born. There were few of us in the beginning and still few of us today. We are creatures of powerful magic and many have sought alliance with us, for both good and ill. Some veela allied during the great wars of civilization and aided the men who sought them, but many others of us prefer to remain within our ancient homeland and be left to work our magic as we see need in the world. This is the world I was born into. By the tradition of my kind, I was raised apart from humans for the first fourteen years of my life. Then I was sent out to the human world to further my education before returning to my homeland to rejoin my sisters. Two years after I left these mountains to live amongst the human race, I captured the heart of a powerful wizard. I was not unused to the effect that I could have on common men, but this wizard I met was the first who I could not fully dominate. He had very powerful magic and used it turn my heart to him. I returned back to my mountains five years after departing and brought the wizard with me. My mother was appalled when she learned that I had formed a union with a human wizard and she cast me from my home. My husband stayed with me and built me this castle as a new home in which we could live together apart from most of the world. From here we worked together and wove our different magics into unique and powerful spells. A year after we arrived, I gave birth to Apolline. She is the product of my alliance and love for my husband, and as such she is half veela. You see, no pure veela may be born of a blood union with man and that is where the next part of my story may be able to assist you."

Molly looked a bit puzzled. "I guess I don't understand. How there can ever be any pure veela if any union with humans results in half-bloods?"

Demetra looked intently at Molly as she continued. "The way that a pure veela is created is for a veela to form a non-bonded union with a human male who is proven and betrothed to another. I have never sought such a union, as my husband was extremely possessive. Now, my husband has been passed for two years and I feel it is time that I fulfill the duty I owe my race and produce a pure veela that can be returned to the family of my sisters whom I left so long ago. This is why I agreed to meet with you. Bogdan was an associate of my husband's and when he came to me with your request to meet and desire for a daughter, I thought that I had found my solution and would also be able to assist you."

Molly took a moment to ponder everything that Demetra had said and then she began to realize what the veela meant. "Demetra, do you mean that you wish for Arthur to father a pure blood veela with you? I don't even see how that is possible."

Demetra looked at the witch in front her and saw a bit of jealous anger rise in her. "I understand that to you this seems quite strange, but let me explain a bit further. Your husband is proven, in that he has produced children already. This is the first key element that is needed. Second, he is betrothed and bonded to you. I will never be able to possess him, I will only be able to use him. This is the second element that is needed. The resulting offspring of our union will not truly be fathered by him, as the magic will leave no male trace in the child. This is the way of veela and this is the way our race must perpetuate itself if we are to continue. In exchange, I can guarantee you a female child of your own."

Molly was the one to be dazed beyond speech at this point, so Arthur came out of his fog and spoke. "Demetra, how can you guarantee us this?"

"Arthur, there is a rite that can be performed in conjunction with our union by which I can ensure you the daughter that you and Molly desire. The rite requires what you call a blue moon, that is the a second full moon within a single month. If we meet in union under the blue moon and then you immediately take your wife after me then my essence will carry into your union with her and will cause the child you conceive to be female. I am willing if both of you agree. There is a blue moon due in 42 days. If you agree, we will meet on that night and complete the rite, then you will leave and it will never be spoken of again. I know that this will seem strange to humans, so I ask that you consider carefully before agreeing. Molly must agree completely to give you to me for a single union. If she has any hesitation, it will break the spell and the union will remain fruitless."

Arthur sat back, rocked by what Demetra proposed. He looked over at Molly and she looked equally stunned.

Demetra stood up and looked down on them. "I am going to attend to some other business. I will give the both of you time to consider. Call for me when you are ready and I will hear and return." Then Demetra exited the room.

Molly took a couple of minutes before she spoke. "Arthur, what do you think? I mean the idea that we could be guaranteed a daughter is my deepest desire, but I had never imagined what it would require."

Arthur took her hands in his as he replied. "Neither did I Molly. Demetra is a beautiful creature and you saw the effect she had on me, but I have never been with anyone but you. I promised you in our vows to never take another woman to myself, but now if I wish to give you your deepest desire it seems the only way to do so is to break that vow. I just don't know what to do Molly."

Molly looked in her husband's eyes and saw his love. Would she be willing to give him to another, even if only for a night? They sat in quiet contemplation for another twenty minutes. Molly examined the idea closely and analyzed her feelings over what had been proposed, then she came to a decision and spoke. "Arthur, I know in our vows that you promised to never take another woman to yourself, but Demetra isn't a woman. You wouldn't be breaking the vow. It's not an easy idea to accept, but I think I am able. In exchange for a daughter, I am willing to agree to the veela's proposal. What do you think?"

Arthur looked at his wife and saw an acceptance in her eyes where before there had been confusion. The idea was mind-boggling, but if this is what was required to sire a daughter, then he would do as needed and replied, "I agree Molly."

With the agreement made between them, Molly kissed her husband and then called Demetra's name.

Demetra appeared within minutes and gave them a questioning look. Arthur took the lead as he addressed her. "Molly and I have discussed this Demetra and we are in agreement with your proposal."

Demetra smiled. "Very well, I will expect you back here at 9pm, 42 days from this evening. I will prepare what we need. Also, Molly, I would suggest that you ensure your cycle is in the proper interval by the time of the blue moon. I thank you both. This will allow us to each have what we desire."

Molly and Arthur stood and Demetra showed them out of the castle. Once they stepped outside the magical bounds of the property, they apparated to the inn and then floo'd back to Britain before apparating back to the Burrow. They arrived to find the house quiet with all the boys asleep upstairs. Andromeda and Ted were cuddled on a couch downstairs listening to the radio and smiled as their friends arrived back home. Molly and Arthur thanked them profusely and Molly insisted that Andromeda take home a cake she had prepared, then they left and Molly and Arthur went to bed.


	5. The Union

Chapter 5 – The Union

The next six weeks seemed to fly by. Baby Ron was nearly eight months old and beginning to scoot around in an effort to keep up with his brothers. Bill was nearing his ninth birthday and already counting the days until he would receive his Hogwarts letter. The twins daily seemed to find new ways to annoy their brothers and frustrate their mother. The boys were a bright light in dark times, and Arthur and Molly worked daily to maintain a settled home life, but the wizarding world was still at war. Every day when the Daily Prophet arrived, Arthur opened it with a sense of trepidation. Molly stayed busy at home and Arthur spent long hours at the office. Molly wasn't dumb and realized that the misuse of Muggle artifacts was not a high priority with everything going on around them. She knew that many nights when Arthur dragged home late that he was probably busy working with Auror friends, but he always managed to put on a cheerful face whenever the boys were around. Later in the evenings, he would relax and Molly could see the strain wearing on him. She was scared of what he was doing, but she knew better than to demand that he stop. Arthur had lost too many friends already, including his two brother-in-laws, and he was not the type of man to tuck his head down and try to stay safe. He regularly reinforced the wards on the Burrow, but so far there was no attention directed at the Weasleys. Others were more high profile and garnered the majority of Death Eater attention. A month after their trip to Romania, the Weasleys received word that both of the Longbottoms had been captured and tortured. They were rescued and the Lestranges were captured, but the reports from St. Mungo's were not hopeful regarding the Longbottoms' long term recovery.

As the time of the blue moon neared, Arthur and Molly were lying in bed one evening and Arthur had to broach the subject. They had barely mentioned their agreement with Demetra since their trip to Romania, but now the time was close and he needed to make sure they were still in agreement.

"Molly my love, you know the blue moon is coming in three days. Do you still want to do this?"

Molly rolled over and put her head on Arthur's chest. "I'm a bit scared Arthur, but yes, I do want to go ahead. I took the potions to adjust my cycle, so I will be ready to conceive in three days. Andromeda and Ted are coming to watch the boys and I told them we are going to a show and dinner so they know we will be home late. Everything is ready. Are you still okay with this?"

Arthur sighed. "Yes Molly, I remain in agreement." Then he waved the light off and let Molly fall asleep on him. After a while, Arthur's troubled mind finally settled and let him sleep as well.

Three days later, Arthur and Molly kissed all the boys good-bye and wave to Andromeda and Ted as they left the Burrow. They repeated the long multi-leg journey back to Romania and apparated to boundary of Demetra's castle, arriving shortly before nine. Demetra was waiting, dressed in a radiant deep emerald silk gown that floated around her as she moved.

"Hello Arthur. Hello Molly. Come in to the sitting room. I thought some we might have some wine to help you relax." With that, the veela escorted them inside.

Soon they were all settled comfortably with large glasses of Demetra's delicious wine. Molly took a sip and spoke. "Thank you Demetra. The wine is quite good. I hope you and Apolline are well?"

Demetra smiled. "I am well and I think Apolline is doing better. She has returned to her husband and daughter, where she belongs."

Arthur seemed a bit surprised. "You're a grandmother? I'm sorry, but Apolline didn't even appear to be of age."

Demetra smiled at him. "Veela do not age as others do. Apolline has been of age for ten years. When you were last here she was only visiting. She had a bit of a problem with her husband. He's French. I don't much approve, but she never asked for my approval. I would have been happy to have her back except that she and her husband have a daughter now and a mother's place is with her daughter. I spoke to her a couple of days ago and she seems happy again, so I suppose I must be happy for her as well."

The room was silent for a couple of minutes before Molly spoke. "Well, I suppose that will make the evening easier with just us here."

"Actually Molly, if Apolline were here it wouldn't concern her. She is familiar with the ways of my people and knows of my intentions. She is actually a bit excited to be a big sister. Of course, her relationship with this child will be a bit unusual, but nonetheless, she is welcoming it."

They finished their wine and Demetra rose from her chair. "The moon is full out now and we are graced with clear skies. I have set up a space for us outside where the moon can fully exert it's influence. Are you ready?"

Molly finished the last of her wine and nodded as Demetra took her hand on the left and Arthur on the right. They made their way down the hallway and past the kitchen to a door leading out of the back of the castle. The garden was in early spring bloom and looked almost as beautiful as Demetra in the moonlight. As they passed a row of hedges, Molly could see a glade not far in front of them that was covered in several large blankets. The magic that emanated from the glade was palpable and Molly stopped to catch her breath.

Demetra turned to Molly and ran her hand along Molly's face. "Now dear there is a spot over amongst the roses where you may wait if you wish. Or you can stay here if you prefer to watch. I'll come find you when Arthur is ready for you." Then she placed a light kiss on the corner of Molly's mouth, turned and took Arthur's hand as she led him toward the glade.

Molly stood in a bit of shock before deciding that she preferred to not actually watch. Turning, she made her way in the direction Demetra had indicated. As she entered the rose garden, she settled on a bench and awaited her summons.

Time passed slowly and Molly was unaware of how long it had been when Demetra appeared in front of her. "Arthur is ready Molly. I am going to leave you now. When you are done, I will let you show yourself out of the castle. I am now going to say goodbye and thank you."

As Demetra disappeared into the garden, Molly stumbled back out toward the glade. When she reached Arthur she found him smiling and gazing at the moon. He was laid out naked and completely splayed on a large blanket. Molly noticed that he hadn't cleaned up since his union with Demetra and she was surprised when she found that the thought of that did not turn her off. In fact, the sight of him lying there still basking in the afterglow that Demetra had left was making her quite flush. She crossed the last few meters and kneeled next to her husband. Arthur refocused when he saw his wife and immediately reached up and pulled her to him. He kissed her deeply and the heat that Molly felt became a fire. She broke the kiss briefly while she disrobed, then dropped back down next to Arthur. He began kissing her again and then entered her with little warning. He was unusually fast and brutal at first, but after they both climaxed the first time, he began to settle. They stayed in the glade for another hour and made love continually. Finally spent, they caught their breath and gathered themselves to return to the castle.

Molly and Arthur entered through the back door and retraced the route back to the front of the eerily quiet castle. They exited the front, stepped outside the castle's wards, and apparated to the local inn. An hour later, Molly and Arthur completed the long trip back to the Burrow. They stumbled into their living room and barely managed to thank Andromeda and Ted before they felt the need come on them again and ran for their bedroom.


	6. Ginevra

Chapter 6 – Ginevra

Over the next couple of weeks, Molly began to notice the small signs that she was pregnant. She was well experienced and recognized the instant changes in her body. One month after the blue moon, she went to St. Mungo's and they confirmed the news. It was still too early for the Healer to determine gender, but Molly knew she was carrying her first and only daughter.

Molly's pregnancy continued smoothly. Much more smoothly than any of her previous and soon she was counting down the days until the first week of August. Her due date came and she was beyond ready, but the baby was not and Molly went past her date. On the day after when she should have delivered, a tragedy and a miracle occurred. Arthur arrived home early for a change and his face showed a strange mix of emotions. He settled his very pregnant wife into a chair to deliver the news.

"Molly I have terrible news, but amazing news as well. Last night Lord Voldemort found the Potters. I know you didn't know them, but James and Lily were under the most stringent security. I don't know all the details, but something happened and Voldemort got to them. He killed both of them immediately, but the amazing thing is their baby survived. No one knows how, but the baby was found screaming in his crib with Lily dead beside it. I heard he was cut, but not seriously injured. Even more incredible, the Death Eaters are fleeing. A couple have been caught and they say the Dark Lord is gone. Something happened when he attacked that baby and it backfired on him. The Ministry has a lot of people who were under the Imperius curse who are now free from it, so it seems the story must be true. I don't understand it, but neither does anyone else. All I know is that it seems this bloody war may finally be coming to an end."

Molly cried and hugged Arthur. The war was ending! She felt horrible about the young couple that had died and marveled that their baby lived, but right then Molly reveled in the fact that her daughter would be born into a world of new found peace.

Four days later, Molly woke early and recognized the familiar pains gripping her stomach. She woke Arthur and he put their plans into motion. He called their friend Emmeline, who floo'd over immediately to look after the boys. Then he took Molly and they made their way to St. Mungo's.

Five hours later, Molly delivered her first and only daughter, Ginevra Molly Weasley. She was the seventh child and the first girl in the Weasley family in seven generations. As she was born, she let out one loud scream and all the lights in the room flickered. Then she stopped and looked up peacefully at the Healer who held her. The Healer's eyebrows went up. He had delivered a lot of babies, but never had he seen this before. He handed the baby off to a nurse and looked up at her parents. "Well Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, I think that is the first time I have seen a witch make her magic known immediately upon birth. It seems you have a special child there."

Arthur looked up and smiled. "Oh yes, she is very special."

The next day Molly and Arthur took baby Ginny home to meet her brothers. Bill made his way to take the new baby from his mother, when Charlie jumped in front of him instead. He promptly claimed his sister and disappeared to the living room with her while four of his brothers followed. Baby Ron was sitting on the floor and tried to follow, but couldn't keep up so Arthur picked up his youngest son and went to see what kind of impact their little girl was having on her brothers.

When Arthur and Molly entered the room, the sight that greeted them was a bit of a shock. Charlie sat holding Ginny, while one of each of the twins was on either side of him. Fred and George stared in rapt attention at the new addition while Bill and Percy stood looking down at her. As his parents entered the room, Fred looked up and declared "Baby smile. My baby sister."

Molly looked at Fred and she smiled as well. Before this day, Fred's non-twin vocabulary totaled three words: no, hungry and gnome. It seemed like Ginny's magic was already making an impact on her brothers.


	7. Epilogue

Chapter 7 – Epilogue

 **Fifteen years later**

Molly bustled around the kitchen of the Burrow preparing for a large Weasley family meal. Only her two youngest children were at home for the summer, but another three would be coming for dinner, as well as three additional guests. Ron and Ginny were both home from Hogwarts and Harry and Hermione had both arrived to spend the end of the summer break with them. Fred and George were living above their shop in Diagon Alley, but Molly had finally simmered down enough after their sudden departure from Hogwarts that they were welcome back at family dinners. Bill was also back in country, working for the local Gringott's bank and had been seeing quite a lot of the young lady who would be their final guest at dinner, Fleur Delacour. Bill and Fleur had met the previous year during the Triwizard tournament and since then she had become Bill's favorite discussion topic. Today they would finally meet her and Molly personally hoped she was even half of what Bill made her out to be. Her oldest son deserved someone special.

As the sun began to set, Arthur and the twins were in the garden finishing the table setup and placing fairy lights in the trees. All preparations were almost complete when the fire began to spin, announcing an imminent arrival via floo. Molly stepped back and waited as her eldest son stepped out of the fire. He was clasping the hand of a small, young woman and looked up to smile at his mother as they appeared.

"Hello Mum. How are you? It smells wonderful in here. Now, I'd like to introduce someone very special, this is Fleur Delacour."

Molly took a moment to assess the young woman. It was obvious why Bill was attracted to her. She was very beautiful and radiant with long, flowing blond tresses. Fleur smiled and for a minute Molly was caught off guard as she saw a hint of something familiar. 'No, she can't be veela, she attended Beauxbatons' Molly admonished herself.

Molly shook herself and smiled at the young woman. "Hello Miss Delacour, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Welcome to our home."

Fleur giggled "Oh, non, Mrs. Weasley. I am Fleur, pleeze. And thenk you for welcoming me. It iz nice to finally zee Bill's home."

As they completed their introductions, a pot on the stove began to bubble and Molly was forced to switch her attention to her cooking.

"We'll just head outside mum so that Fleur can meet everyone else." Bill said and escorted the willowy blonde to the garden.

Hours later, the meal was complete and the twins, Bill and Fleur had all left the Burrow. Harry and Ron were left to help Arthur finish cleaning up the garden, while Ginny and Hermione helped Molly in the house. As the girls dried dishes, they chatted with Molly and the main topic of discussion was Fleur.

"So mum, what did you think of the Flower? Pretty enough and she certainly has Bill tied up." Ginny began.

"Well, she is certainly pretty and she and Bill are obviously infatuated with each other. I suppose since she is staying in country to work and improve her English, we had better get to know her more. I think Bill is well settled on her, not that I'm surprised with how beautiful she is. She is definitely different from the couple of other girls Bill has brought around in the past." Molly observed.

Ginny giggled. "Well mum, I can explain some of that. Ron and Harry told me that in the questioning during the tournament, Harry found out that the girl is actually part veela. Her grandmother was a veela. I wasn't sure I believed them at first, but once you've been around her a bit, I suppose it helps explain her..um..unusualness."

Molly stopped her sorting of silverware and stared at Ginny. "Fleur is veela?"

"Oh yes mum, but only a quarter. From her grandmother." Ginny replied and looked up at her mother. "Mum, are you ok? You look a bit pale. Maybe you should sit. Really, I don't see how it's that bad. I mean we just need time to get to know her. It's not like we've ever had a chance to meet a veela. They can't be all bad if they have children with humans, right?"

Molly only nodded and turned back to her silverware drawer.

 **One more year later**

The Burrow was in a frenzy and Molly was at the center of the storm. All her children except Percy were back home and busy preparing for Bill's wedding the next day. The house had been cleaned, inspected and re-cleaned. Now Molly was beginning the initial dinner preparations, while ordering her children, Harry and Hermione to get themselves cleaned up. They all groaned, but knew better than to openly complain since they knew why Molly was in a tizzy. In just an hour, Fleur would be bringing her parents to the Burrow for the first meeting between the future in-laws.

An hour later, Molly lined everyone up and began inspecting them individually. She wished Charlie would have let her trim his hair, but he refused. Instead, she straightened his tie and sighed over the hair. Next she told Ron to tuck in his shirt tail and then turned her attention to Harry's hair. Despite her best efforts, it wouldn't flatten and she finally gave up. She turned next to look at Ginny and Hermione and they looked quite nice. She had seen the way Ron and Harry had admired them when they came downstairs and Molly made a mental note to keep a close eye on those pairings. Finally she could find nothing else to tweak, tuck or fix on any of them, so she turned to her husband.

Arthur took her hand and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss. "It's fine Molly, everything will be fine."

As he finished reassuring his wife, Arthur heard the familiar apparition pop out in the garden and led his wife to greet their guests, while the rest of the family followed behind. When Molly and Arthur reached the garden, Fleur saw them coming and waved. She was holding her parents' hands and brought them forward to be introduced.

"Mum and Dad Weasley, I would like to introduce my father, Edouard Delacour and my mother, Apolline Delacour."

Molly and Arthur stood stunned as they looked at Apolline. She had aged only a little in sixteen years. Finally Arthur found his voice.

"Welcome to our home Mr. and Mrs. Delacour. I hope you will be comfortable here. And please call us Arthur and Molly. We don't stand on formality at home." While he spoke, Arthur's eyes bore into Apolline as a long closed secret chapter of his life cracked open briefly.

Edouard spoke up. "Thank you Arthur. We also are not formal with family, we are just Edouard and Apolline."

Molly took a deep breath and began to make introductions, allowing her to finally tear her eyes away from Fleur's mother. "Edouard and Apolline, please let me introduce you to everyone else. First over here is my second son, Charlie. Then there are the twins Fred and George, or George and Fred, anyway the twins. Next on the far end is our youngest son Ron. Next to him is his friend Harry Potter. Standing next to Harry is another friend, Hermione Granger. And finally, here on my right is our daughter Ginevra, but she prefers Ginny."

As she finished her introductions, Molly felt her heart finally settle as she turned back to smile at Fleur and her parents. Then her eyes met Apolline and the woman gave her a small and knowing smile as she looked at Ginny and then back at Molly.

Molly returned the smile while squeezing Ginny's hand and then reached out to take Apolline's hand as she led the family and their guests into the house.


End file.
